Burglar walks into Wendy Davis home, encounters former Austin mayor

AUSTIN – A Dallas-Fort Worth television station reported that a man broke into Sen. Wendy Davis’ home last year and took her car for a spin after encountering her then-boyfriend, former Austin mayor Will Wynn, in the kitchen.

NBC DFW reported in an exclusive story that the incident happened just over a year ago. That was before the Fort Worth Democrat came to national attention with her filibuster against tighter abortion restrictions and launched her race for governor.

Davis testified in the case for about 15 minutes after it went to court in January, according to the man’s attorney, but the crime previously hasn’t been reported by media.

NBC DFW reported that it learned of the crime from a law enforcement source and got the police report under state law on open records.

The police report said that Donnell Dickerson entered Davis’ home about 6 p.m. on April 13, 2013, the station reported. Wynn said he had been outside doing yard work and was confronted by the man after walking into the kitchen.

“I must be in the wrong house,” the man said, according to Wynn. He then walked into the garage and drove away in Davis’ 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. The keys were inside the vehicle, the station reported.

Dickerson returned as Wynn was telling a police officer about the incident. The officer pulled her gun and ordered him out of the vehicle, and he was arrested on charges of burglary and car theft.

Wynn said that Davis was taking a nap and didn’t wake up until after police arrived.

The television station reported that Dickerson pleaded guilty to the two charges in January and agreed to be sentenced by a jury. He got eight years in prison.

Dickerson’s lawyer, Mamie Johnson, told the television station that he had walked into the wrong house. She said that he becomes confused and has mental lapses.

“He didn’t realize it was her house or he would have run out of there faster than he did,” Johnson said. She said she believed her client was treated fairly in court.

Davis communications director Zac Petkanas said in a statement, “Almost a year ago an intruder entered Senator Davis’ home and fled in her vehicle. Wendy is grateful to the prompt and professional response of Fort Worth Police and the immediate capture of the intruder. The prosecution of this matter is now complete and she urges everyone to take every precaution to ensure their families are safe.”

The television station said the police report refers to Davis as “W. Davis” and gives the block number, but not the specific street number, for her Fort Worth home. It quotes a police spokesman as saying this might have been done to protect her privacy.